Steven Seagal

Steven Seagal (born April 10, 1951) is an action movie actor and a 7th dan black belt in Aikido.

Film Career

Seagal's first venture into the film industry occurred when he was hired as the stunt co-ordinator for the 1982 film The Challenge, starring Toshiro Mifune. In 1983, Seagal returned to the United States, a decade after he left, in order to pursue a career in the film industry. In 1984, he married his second wife, former Days of Our Lives actress Adrienne La Russa, even though the divorce to his first wife had not been finalized. His third marriage was to actress Kelly LeBrock, whom he first met when he was hired to be her bodyguard.

Related Topics:
Stunt co-ordinator - 1982 - The Challenge - Toshiro Mifune - 1983 - 1984 - Days of Our Lives - Adrienne La Russa - Kelly LeBrock

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Seagal's acting career took off when, by chance, Michael Ovitz, the then president of one of the most powerful talent agencies in Hollywood, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), came to Seagal's Aikido Studio in Burbank, California and became his student. Following this, Seagal's acting career rapidly took off and he became known for his roles in martial arts oriented action movies.

Related Topics:
Michael Ovitz - Hollywood - Creative Artists Agency - Burbank

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Seagal has produced many of the movies that he stars in, and has also participated in writing and direction. Seagal's roles do not fit the standard action hero archetype. The characters he portrays are often 'born perfect,' displaying no limitations, character flaws, or character development. Instead, his roles are often associated with attributes given to action movie antagonists or villains; eg. clandestine government associations (Under Siege), great wealth and high-level corporate ties (On Deadly Ground), high-level biochemical research skill (The Patriot), etc.

Related Topics:
Action hero - Archetype - Character flaws - Character development - Antagonists - Villains - Under Siege - On Deadly Ground - The Patriot

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Though Seagal has had numerous big screen successes, most notably Under Siege (1992), many of recent films have gone straight to cable television and video release, although he continues to star in several films each year. In this period, he has appeared in a well received Mountain Dew commercial in the US, in which he parodied his tough-guy persona.

Related Topics:
Under Siege - 1992 - Mountain Dew

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Seagal has also recently recorded a blues album, Songs from the Crystal Cave released by Sony in 2005 and features Tony Rebel, Lt. Stichie, Lady Saw and Stevie Wonder.

Related Topics:
Sony - 2005 - Stevie Wonder

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Seagal maintains a ranch in Colorado and a home in the Mandeville Canyon section of Brentwood, California, a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles.

Related Topics:
Colorado - Brentwood - Los Angeles

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